Unit 8 House and home
4 While you read
Home-but not alone
Dave and Steve Briggs share a bedroom in their parents' house.
You might think that's quite normal for brothers.
but Dave and Steve aren't teenagers.
They're both in their mid-thirties and their parents are now retired.
They are part of a growing number of children
who are being forced to live with their parents well intoadulthood,
simply because they can't afford to rent or buy a place of their own.
Steve has lived in the twobedroom terraced house in the London suburb of Walthamstow
nearly all his life.
apart from two years when he was studying nursing in Derby.While he was there.
he suffered a nervous breaddown and came home before completing his course.
It was a difficult time.he said,
it was the first time I'd really been away from my family
and I was finding the course quite stressful.
In the end,I just couldn't cope and my life just went to pieces.
I've suffered from depression ever since.
which has meant I've been in and out of work a lot.
but I've always been able to come home and know I'll be looked after,
that I won't end up on the streets because I couldn't afford to pay the rent.
And until two years ago.I had the bedroom to myself,so that was all right.
I had the TV and PlayStation in there.so I had my privacy.'
All that changed when Dave got divorced
and had to leave his large four-bedroom house to his wife and two kids.
He had originally left home at seventeen.
When he joined the army,and now works as a mechanical engineer for Ford Motors.
When Lisa and I divorced.
I thought I would just rent somewhere close by
so I could just drop in and see the kids easily,but when I started looking,
I just couldn't believe how expensive everything was.
I'd never actually had to rent a flat before,being in the army,
and most landlords wanted something like a hundred and fifty pounds a week just for a tiny studio flat.
I thought about buying,but over the ten years Lisa and I had lived in our place,
prices had just rocketed.I mean,for the money we paid for our house ten years ago.
we culd probably only get a one or two-bedroom flat in a large block now.
It's ridiculous!
There were cheaper places,but they were in really rough parts of town.
where I wouldn't want my kids walking around.
And the trouble is,it's not stopping.
Prices have almost doubled just in the two years I've been staying with my parents.
You know,the other day I saw a parking space being sold for&73000!&73000!
For a parking space!The world's gone mad!
So how does he find living at home again?It was quite werid for a long time,
but you get used to it.It has its advantages.
I still get my meals cooked and my clothes washed,but of course,
it's difficult to have any privacy.Steve snores really badly.
And he's always smoking.It's really disgusting!
I sometimes stay over at my girlfriend's flat,
and I'm trying to persuade her to let me move in,
but she's not keen at the moment.So what else can I do?"
As many people know,the answer is "Not much'.
Unless.of course,you're prepared to move to a poor industrial town in the north
or a tiny little village right out in the countryside,
where you can buy a house for a tenth of the price it would be in London.
I did suggest this to Steve."Yeah,right!
So I could live in a slum or in the middle of nowhere,
it's not much of an alternative,is it?
No, in the end,my family and job are here,and that's what's most important."
4 Pronunciation:sentence stress
When we complain about something,we usually place an extra stress on always and never.
They're always gossiping.
He never does the washing-up.
While you listen
Come in,come in.You can leave your bags in the hall for the moment.
Take your coat off.Just hang it up on the back of the door there.
Paul,why don't you take it?Honestly,he can be so rude sometimes.
Hello.Nice to meet you at last.I'm Angela.Hello.
Did you have a good journey?I was starting to get a bit worried about you.
It was OK.but the plane was...what did you say.Paul?
Yeah.I think she had a bit of a bumpy flight from the sounds of things.
It was almost an hour late getting in.A storm or something.
Oh,poor you.Sit down.You must be exhausted.
Sorry?You must be very tired.Yes,yes.
Can I get you something to eat?
No.thank you.I had something to eat on the plane.I'm just tired.Yes.I'm sure.
The children wanted to stay up to meet you.but they've got school tomorrow.
Do you want me to show you round the house now or shall we do it in the morning?
No.I'm very tired,so maybe...
So.We'll show you where everything is tomorrow?
Is it OK if I just go to bed?
Yes,yes of couse,It is very late.I need to get to bed myself.
Paul,do you think you could take her bags up?
Yeah,of course.Thanks,Goodnight.Yes,Sleep well.
By the way,have you got an alarm clock?
The children really do need to have their breakfast by seven thirty.
Seven thirty?
Do you want me to get you up tomorrow?
Maybe that'll be easier as it's your first day.I...er...yes.